Great Dancing or Smut?

Are female artists “selling themselves” short? I would say so, considering how far they are willing to go in their quest for superstardom. Each year, they reveal more and more of their goodies, compromising themselves and their artistic integrity by showing that they are no more than glorified strippers who happen to be able to hold a tune or rap, all in the name of entertainment.

I would venture to say that Beyonce is probably the hardest working woman in show business. I respect her hustle. But, watching her perform, I often wonder why she feels the need to be so overtly sexual. She has already proven to be an artist with staying power, constantly evolving and finding new and innovative ways to remain relevant. Beyonce has broken countless records, staged world tours and even performed for the President and First Lady of the United States. You would think she’d be above all the excessive booty popping and writhing on the floor that preceded her (e.g. when she performed Deja Vu live at the 2006 BET Awards). But, she’s still at it! Female artists, especially Beyonce, seem to be vying for the “Who Can Dance Most Like A Stripper” award, emulating Las Vegas showgirls rather than seasoned, professional arists.

Unfortunately, the days of finely tuned, choreographed steps indicative of entertainers such as Janet Jackson and TLC, are long gone. They’ve been replaced by the likes of Nicki Minaj, giving lap dances in catsuits and leotards, and booty-baring android, Lady Gaga , popping out of eggs dressed as yolk, leaving very little to be imagined about how these girls actually “get down” behind closed doors.

Furthermore, Ciara’s “Ride” video, in which she straddles a mechanical bull in a wet, clingy tank, leaves me wondering how much further these women can to get a “rise” out of their audience. The fact that she throws in a few Michael Jackson-esque moves, still doesn’t qualify this video as artistic expression in the form of dance. Her video may be nice for men to look at, but it’s certainly not going to make them rush out and buy her cd, which would explain why only 37,000 copies of her most recent album, Basic Instinct, were sold. Perhaps Ciara’s “talents” would be better served in the adult entertainment industry. They don’t expect much. View her audition tape below.